Why God comes before family (Ord26CWed)

Today Jesus reminds us that he comes first even before our families.‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’ This can sound harsh…but it’s not the only time Jesus says this: it is a common theme for him. Part of the reason is because it saves us a lot of trouble and distraction: if my foundation is my family, my life will be continually in crisis, as fallen human beings will always fail us – but if it’s God, then whatever the family problem, I have a strong rock to rely on. And partly because God gives us far more than our family ever could: our families cannot give us infinite good, and even any good they do have they’ve received from God anyway! So let’s pray today for detachment: that God grant us the detachment we need from our families to love him first, and so be of better help to our families. Amen.